College chums never doubt Gaudreau's pluck

NEW YORK — Eyes on the Calgary Flames’ morning skate, Kevin Hayes scoffs at the controversy.

At how his friend was criticized for getting his nickname trademarked, meaning he’d suddenly become a spotlight-hogger, a me-guy.

Ridiculous, according to Hayes, because Johnny Gaudreau is not like that.

Not even close.

“He’s probably the most low-key NHL player I’ve hung out with,” says Hayes, forward of the New York Rangers — and former Boston College teammate of Gaudreau. “He’s (so) low key — he doesn’t want anyone to know what he’s doing or to know who he is. He’s the opposite of T-shirts and people knowing his business.

“He’d rather be Johnny Who than Johnny Hockey, to be honest with you. He’d rather have no nickname than the one he has.”

But Johnny Who?

In this part of the world — the setting for the bulk of the Flames’ trip — there is scant chance of that.

Gaudreau, 21, was engulfed by reporters in the morning at Madison Square Garden. And this thing is just getting started.

Wednesday, the Flames play in Gaudreau’s home state, New Jersey.

Next week, he gets to play less than 30 minutes from his house, in Philadelphia.

“Where he comes from … you’ve probably never been down to where he lives,” says Hayes, “but there’s not a lot going on there. Everyone … knows who he is. I’m sure he’ll be shocked at the reception he’ll get in Philly.

“There’s already billboards with him and (Jakub) Voracek in Philly and New Jersey.

“They’re basically waiting for him to come back.”

Then, of course, Gaudreau will suit up in the city where he became a household name.

“He’ll get a huge reception in Boston,” says Hayes. “I mean, I was nothing compared to what he was in college and I had a pretty big reception (when the Rangers visited TD Garden). Granted, I’m from there. But the best hockey that he’s ever played was in Boston.”

Hayes and Gaudreau did get a chance to catch up Monday night after the Flames arrived in Manhattan.

“I was basically just sitting (in my apartment) like a little kid, waiting for him to come over,” says Hayes. “We were laughing the whole night. He’s probably not too outgoing with you guys, but he’s a funny kid. He’s awesome. Once he allows you into his little inner circle, he’s a great guy.”

At about this point of the conversation, Gaudreau, impishly, bangs a practice puck off the glass near Hayes’ head.

“No one knows his personality … because the lifestyle that he lives is low key,” Hayes says. “He’d rather go about his business and have no accolades. But, obviously, he’s going to get a lot of accolades.”

Gaudreau’s already played in an NHL all-star game. He’s bound to be a Calder Trophy finalist.

Of those who know him well, the on-ice success is nothing stunning.

Chris Kreider, another BC alumnus on the Rangers’ roster, cannot forget Gaudreau’s early days at school. This is the fall of 2011.

“He showed up 125, 130 pounds … we thought he was the manager,” says Kreider, cackling. “We thought he was going to get killed.”

The a-ha moment arrived quickly.

Game 2, to be exact.

The Eagles faced highly touted — and home standing — North Dakota. No one expected it to be pretty.

Especially for the wispy winger.

“A bunch of first-, second-, third-round draft picks on their back end — some really, really big guys,” recalls Kreider, chuckling. “And he was just breaking ankles behind the net. He had some very good players getting caught up in the back of the net. Then he was feeding some of our upperclassmen for no-look tap-ins. He ended up having a goal and three assists in his second career game against a team that most freshmen would have been pretty intimidated to play against.

“There were these hulking North Dakota defencemen chasing him around, just trying to kill him. And, as we’ve learned, that usually is not the way you want to play Johnny. He was shaking guys left and right. We were actually just laughing on the bench at that point, going, ‘The kid’s pretty good.’

“I gave up doubting that kid a long, long time ago.”

For Gaudreau, rave reviews don’t only come from friends and teammates.

Igor Larionov penned an article called The Beautiful Game — published online Monday by The Players’ Tribune — bemoaning the lost art of dazzling.

“It’s easier to destroy than to create,” he writes. “As a coach, it’s easier to tell your players to suffocate the opposing team and not turn the puck over. There are still players whose imagination and creativity capture the Soviet spirit — Johnny Gaudreau in Calgary, Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews in Chicago, just to name a few. However, they are becoming exceptions to the rule.”

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